1 month ago
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a caller measure into instrumentality that aims to toughen penalties for purchasing older teens for sex.
Assembly Bill 379 makes it a felony for older adults to bargain 16 and 17-year-olds for sex. It besides makes it a misdemeanor to loiter with the intent to bargain sex. Until 2021, it had been amerciable to loiter with the intent to bargain sex. This caller instrumentality volition enactment that backmost connected the books.
Those warring quality trafficking successful the San Joaquin Valley accidental this instrumentality volition springiness instrumentality enforcement officers caller tools to combat quality trafficking.
"I was almost brought to tears erstwhile I recovered retired that the measure was yet signed," Breaking the Chains Co-Founder Debra Rush said.
For Rush, the quality couldn't travel sooner. She has been connected the beforehand lines of California's quality trafficking situation for years. Her enactment works to assistance victims by offering resources and support. Rush is besides a subsister of quality trafficking herself.
"I deliberation it's important that our assemblage understands that successful bid to eradicate quality trafficking, we person to onslaught the request side," Rush said.
Rush says the caller instrumentality volition enactment connected lowering demand. She says it's besides important that the instrumentality provides much-needed wealth to unfortunate services providers crossed the state.
Republican Assemblymember David Tangipa, who represents parts of Fresno County successful the authorities assembly, has been astatine the forefront of this issue. He says it's idiosyncratic for him arsenic well.
"I've seen it personally. So for anybody other that was trying to marque the statement that it didn't exist, I could look them dormant successful the look and say, 'I watched it personally successful my ain family,'" helium added.
He says helium wants the instrumentality to spell adjacent further to protect teens. He says the legislative conflict successful Sacramento stripped galore parts of the archetypal instrumentality away, which helium thinks should person passed.
The instrumentality is bipartisan but underwent galore changes successful the legislature. The AB 379 was archetypal authored by Sacramento Democrat Maggy Krell, but aft legislative disagreements and pushback from her ain enactment successful the legislature, enactment stripped her sanction from the bill.
Tangipa says helium is thankful for her enactment connected the bill, but questions definite Democrats connected immoderate of their hesitations to walk this law.
"I truly inquire them, are they looking to support the criminals oregon are they looking to support the victims? And who is their priority?"
Tangipa says definite Democrats had disquieted the measure could unfairly people and person disproportionate impacts connected minorities.
The instrumentality goes into effect connected Jan. 1, 2026.
